Gutter cutter



J. B. SCULLIN April 15, 1930.

GUTTER CUTTER Filed May 8, 1928 am-ueufoz (115. 6'0 u. l Inn PatentedApr. 15, 1930 UNITED STATES JAMES B. SCULLIN, OF PARKERSBUR-G, WESTVIRGINIA GUTTEB CUTTER Application filed May 3, 1923. Serial No.276,117.

This invention provides a tool designed especially for forming a gutteralong a street curb, cement walk or pavement.

The invention supplies a tool of the nature and for the purposestateduvhich is light, efficient, cheap and capable of being readilymanipulated by hand.

The invention furthermore contemplates a tool formed of a blank of sheetmetal, such as steel, and which is practically free from seams andjoints, save one short lap. joint at the rear end, and which embodies adepth gage to insure the formation of a gutter of uniform capacity.

While the drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment the invention, itis to be understood that in adapting the means to meet specific needsand requirements the design may be varied and changes in the minordetails of construction may be resorted to witl in the scope of theinvention as claimed, without departing from the spirit thereof.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof,reference is to be had to the following description and the drawinghereto attached, in which,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gutter forming tool embodying theinvention and illustrating the same as it appears when in action.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the tool, the handle being omitted.

Figure 3 is a side view of the tool with the handle removed.

Figure 4: is a front View, showing the tool in action.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and designated in the several views of the drawing by likereference characters.

The body of the tool consists of a sheet metal blank, such as steel,which is bent into the required shape. The tool is elongated, andcomprises side walls 1 and 2, a bottom 3, and a rear wall 4 which curvesboth upwardly and laterally to direct the earth through a lateraldischarge 5. The bottom 3 inclines transversely, as indicated mostclearly in Figure 4 of the drawings, and its rear portion curvesupwardly and laterally,

as indicated most clearly in Figure 3 of the drawings. The longitudinalside walls 1 and 2 are parallel and their upper edges terminate in aboutsubstantially the same horizontal plane. The inner longitudinal wall 2is of greater depth than the outer wall 1, and as a result the gutterformed is of maximum depth adjacent the curb, walk, or pavement. Theforward edges of the bottom and side walls are beveled for cuttingthrough the soil with a minimum resistance. The rear end of the innerside Wall 2 is cut away to provide a lateral discharge 5 through whichthe material removed in the formation of the gut ter escapes.

The numeral 6 denotes a handle and 7 irons connecting the handle withthe side walls of the tool. at depth gage 8 is located adjacent theinner wall 2 and is spaced therefrom and connected thereto in anydeterminate way. 7 The depth gage?) is adapted to run upon the curb,walk, or pavement and limits the downward movement of the tool andincidentally the depth of the gutter formed. Studs 9, or analogousfastening means are employed for connecting the depth gage 8 to the wall2.

In the operation of the tool it is placed against the side of the curb,walk, or pavement, with the gage 8 resting thereon. The tool is pushedforward by means of the hanso dle 6 and the earth removed enters thespace formed between the bottom and side walls, and is dischargedlaterally through the out let 5 upon the walk or pavement at the side ofthe gutter from which it may be subsequently readily removed. In thismanner a gutter, channel, or groove is formed at the side of a walk, orpavement, for drainage, or as a finish or edge to the lawn. It will benoted that the gage is a long plate set on edge and rigidly secured uponthe inner side wall, so that while it will have an extended bearing uponthe wail: and will resist longitudinal rocking of the cover in use, thearea of contact with the wall: will not be so great that the frictionalresistance to the travel of the cut ter will be a noticeable factor inits operation.

It wili also be noted that the entire inner side edge of the bottom isin the plane of the inner side wall and the rear extension of the bottomconsequently bears against the edge of the walk so as to cooperate withthe inner side wall in guiding the device. While the extension of thebottom curves upwardly and is secured to the laterally curved extensionof the outer side wall, neither extension projects over the walkalthough the dirt will be posi tively directed onto the walk.Consequently, there is no lateral element at the rear end of the deviceserving as a fulcrum to cause liftin of the front end.

aving thus described the invention, I claim:

A utter-forming tool consisting of a sheet meta blank including straightparallel inner and outer side walls, and a bottom connecting the loweredges of the side walls, the inner wall being of greater depth than theouter wall and the bottom and the outer wall extending rearwardly beyondthe inner wall, the rear extension of the bottom curving up- Wardly andthe rear extension of the outer wall curvin laterally and being securedto the u ward y curved extension of the bottom and orming therewith arear deflecting wall and defining a large lateral discharge space at therear end of the inner wall, the entire inner edge of the bottom and itsextension being in the same vertical plane with the inner side wallwhereby to bear against the ed e of a walk and guide the tool at work.

n testimony whereof I aflix 1n signature.

JAMES B. SCULLI [1,. s]

